Daily RAoK

Have decided today that I should not only try and upload an image per day onto Instagram so that I am always thinking about images, art, composition, photography, and the beauty that surrounds me - but also to try and complete one random act of kindness each day - a RAoK.

 

Not sure how I will log these but will keep notes and see if I think it is worth reporting back or whether this is something that has to be kept private!

 

Today I have found an old family photograph for my cousin. She has very few of her and her mum and dad from when they lived in UK so this will be a new image for her family photo album.

 

I also started a 'Smile Jar' this month - the idea being that each time something makes you smile you jot it down onto a piece of paper and keep that in a jar and then later in the year you can empty your jar and remember all the good things.

Smile Jar at the beginning of January

 

 

I think the Smile Jar may begin to fill quickly as I complete my RAoK each day.

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Days like this

Being ill through December really did not help this self-employed one-man-band. All my energies were focused on getting better and trying not to be sick rather than talking to my clients and organising work for January. As a result January has been quite quiet. This has given me the chance to resolve my backing-up issues and to clean the office. I've even found things I thought I had lost but during this time my camera has remained in its bag and the car parked on the drive.

 

However my hard work through early January, as I got better, has begun to bear fruit. A trip to my mentor last week to go through my ideas for the way forward for the business was very interesting and motivating and I now have a plan which is beginning to fall into place.

 

I am going to be rethinking my 60 second pitch that I give at network meetings and have been practising that on the cat over the last week. I now think I am ready to go and try it out on other people - which is good as next week I have three network meetings.

 

I have discovered a new way of networking called 'Netwalking' - fab way to network by going out for an hour and half walk and spending 5/10 mins with each person so you can talk about your business and see if there are ways you can find referrals or work collaboratively. If you want to find out if there is one near you have a look on Skylark Activities website for details. Yesterdays' netwalk was around Moira Furnace, Donisthorpe, Conkers using the Ashby Woulds Heritage Trail.

 

The snow had thawed, which meant a muddy walk,
but that did not dampen our enthusiasm

 

 

I really enjoyed it and made a very good contact. I am hooked so I am going to the Bradgate Park netwalk - my old stomping ground - that should be interesting, old memories will flood back.

 

Also during this quiet time I have been investigating social media and seeing how I currently make use of that. Not efficiently I know. I still need a little bit of training/practical help and that is in the diary for week after next.

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Direction

I have been putting into place a plan I developed over Christmas and it is starting to bear fruit. Once I have things in writing and some work underway I will post more information. But this is exciting stuff and involves a whole bag full of photographic elements. 

Brrr its so cold - but this news is very warming.

Plans are being put into action

 

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Client Images

My little package arrived today containing the new 250GB external hard drive. (Read my New Years Resolution post to see what I am talking about). This means I have been able to get all client images onto individual sticks/drives. These are now perfectly labelled and stored in a safe and secure box in the office. I can now rest easy. I have also backed-up the entire files/folder/system from the computer hard drive. I did this old school and next week will try out some software that means I will be doing incremental back-ups.

I have been told about SkyDrive for my day-to-day files/documents and I might investigate that too.

Think this story needs an image and as all I can see out of my window is snow I thought this would be appropriate.

It was a bitterly cold 5 mile walk to have a delicious Sunday roast

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Pensions and stuff

What with the news about the changes to the retirement age, the changes to NI contributions, the equalising of policies whether you are a man or woman and the changes to all sorts of benefits - meant I thought I had better get my stuff checked out. 

Quick trip round to see my friendly local financial adviser and it seems:

• I have 17 years in which to make up 5 years of NI contributions - that shouldn't be too difficult to do
• I have the best pension schemes available already. They will just sit and rise with inflation until 2024 or 2027 depending on how successive governments change the rules
• My pension can be left to someone if I require - so I need to start speaking to potential beneficiaries and see if they are interested - form an orderly queue people :-)

So I am sitting pretty with very little to worry about (at the moment). And relax.

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